I just got back from Florida last week. It was a long but exciting trip. It started out on a bad note when the Patriots lost the Superbowl. Thankfully each day got better.

I spent many weeks preparing for this trip even though I have photographed Florida for almost 20 years. It is important to keep up with the recent wildlife reports. I check the internet, call and email other photographers, birders, biologist etc. I also monitor the water levels and tide charts.

I drove down a week early to scout out the area. I checked on some eagle, osprey and owl nests. Some of my most photogenic nests were vacant this year but I had other ones planned out.

The tip started off in Fort Myers. Participants flew into the Fort Myers Airport and took a shuttle to the hotel. This group was a lot of fun. I haven’t laughed so much in a long time.

Who would have thought that a cell phone can improve your nature photography. When you buy a smart phone there are several options. One major choice is the operating system. Widows Phone and Blackberry have a large presence but two operating systems dominate the market. iPhone and Goodle’s Android System.

Both options have thousands of applications. I found that the iPhone has more than Android. You can look online and check the apps you may be interested in before you choice a phone.

I ended up going with the Motorola Droid Razor. It is a 4.3 high resolution display which is bigger than the iphone screen. It is one of the thinnest 4G phones and it is one of the most durable. Nature Photographers are exposed to the elements so I needed a phone that could take a beating. It is shielded with a KEVLAR® strong backplate. Suppress an onslaught of scratches and scrapes, reinforced by Corning® Gorilla® Glass. It is also splashproof.

There are thousand of apps available (hundreds just for photography).

Some of the apps I installed include:

Weather Channel: Allows you to save multiple locations for a quick glace at the weather.

Email: Nice to check emails from the road and keep up with office work.

Facebook: Nice to be able to add to my facebook page from the road.

Amazon Kindle: ability to download ebook with just a few clicks to your phone.

Nlist: Allows you to create lists. Some of the lists I made

a.) To Do list

b.) Photography Gear

c.) Shopping Lists

d.) Presentation list (what I bring when I do a presentation)

e.) Packing Lists.

Never forgot important photo gear at home.

Quick Office: To view and update Office Spreadsheet like Excel and Word.

Backpacker GPS: Record hiking trails, backpacking trips, and camping adventures. View maps, navigate with digital compass, take photos, and backtrack to the trailhead. GPS Trails Lite works in remote places

Aurora: Several apps are available to get the northern lights forecast

Google Earth: view satellite imagery, maps, terrain, 3D buildings, from galaxies in outer space to the canyons of the ocean. Helps you plan out the best locations for wildlife and landscape photography.

Google Sky Map: Point your phone at the sky, and it will show the stars, planets, constellations, and more to help you identify the celestial objects in view.

The Photographer’s Ephemeris (TPE): a map-centric sun and moon calculator: see how the light will fall on the land, be it day or night, for almost anywhere on earth. It is nice for landscape, nature, travel and outdoor photographers, TPE’s map-based approach means you can search for any place name on the planet or position the map pin exactly where you want it.

Trip Advisor: Great App helps with you travel planning. I use it mostly for hotel reviews

FALL FOLIAGE: NEW HAMPSHIRE SEPT 30-OCT 2 and or OCT 3-5Join us as we travel to the beautiful White Mountains and Northern NH to photograph fall foliage. This is timed to see some of New England’s most beautiful places during the peak times. We will photograph mountains, rivers, waterfalls, wildlife, reflections, birch trees etc. The subject matter is endless at this wonderful time of year.

About this picture: Great Gray Owls are one of my favorite birds. When I photographed this bird it was perfectly parallel to the tree. I then changed my locations to the side of the owl which was now totally blocked by the same tree. What I was anticipating was the owl peaking around the tree and looking at me which he did. This viewpoint gives you a sense of mystery since his face is partially blocked.

The Great Gray Owl is the largest owl in North America. The Great Gray Owl has a body length of about 24 – 33 inches, a wingspan of 4 1/2 – 5 feet, and weighs only 1 1/2 – 3 pounds, despite its large size. Great Gray lacks ear tufts and has a relatively large head and small eyes. Like other owls, the great gray owl has eyes that face forward. This gives it depth perception. Also, like other owls, one of its ear holes is higher than the other. This helps it identify the source of a sound, which is useful in finding prey.

Great Gray Owls prefer dense forests interspersed with open meadows, clearings, or bogs. This owl lives in taiga, boreal, and mountainous forests of North America

The main food of this owl is small mammals, like voles, but it will also eat birds, amphibians, and insects. They hunt mainly during dusk and dawn (crepuscular) from a perch at the forest edge or in a clearing, but will also hunt at night (nocturnal) and occasionally during the daytime (diurnal). They have a keen sense of hearing and can dive in the snow and catch a rodent that was not even visible.

Even Though they are the largest of the North American Owls they are Great Horned and Snowy Owls are stronger and weigh more.